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Free-meal program boosts participation; nutrition staff outline dye, sodium and equipment plans
Summary
Nutrition services reported a 91% increase in breakfast participation and a 33% increase in lunch since the free-meal program began; USDA/Minnesota Department of Education audit prompted smart-snack compliance work, staff are removing synthetic dyes and planning sodium-reduction changes and equipment replacements.
Wendy Cole, the district’s nutrition services supervisor, told the board the free school meal program has substantially increased participation and stabilized funding streams. Using September 2022 as a base year, Cole said breakfast participation rose 91% and lunch participation rose 33% since the program’s start.
Cole explained the district underwent a dual USDA and Minnesota Department of Education audit and that auditors raised smart-snack regulation compliance issues when groups other than the district sell food during the school day. Cole said the district will act as a resource to help other groups meet federal smart-snack standards for products sold during the school day, and gave examples such as the DECA store having to reformulate product offerings to comply.
Menu changes and nutrition standards: Cole outlined efforts to remove synthetic food dyes ahead of an expected national elimination of many of those dyes by January 2027, noting the district has already eliminated most affected items and is working on three remaining products (including a fruit salad that currently contains marshmallows). She also described USDA sodium-reduction targets for July 2027 and a district plan to identify high-sodium items and seek 90% replacement products where feasible.
Operations and equipment: Cole said the district is fully funded for meals through a blend of state and other funding and can now focus on food choices, staff training and equipment replacement. The district has identified walk-in freezers and coolers that need replacement and has scheduled two schools for replacement next year and two more the following summer.
Board questions covered whether sodium limits are per item or per meal component and how vendors can supply compliant products; Cole said the prime vendor and the Minnesota Food Buyers Group are helping source compliant options.
